Lab 06:
Online or Face-to-face?

Let’s get building

Lab
Week 6
Author

Dr. Gordon Wright

Published

November 14, 2023

Overview of today’s lab activities

  1. Review the Ethics Page on the VLE

  2. Sign up for a Qualtrics account here https://goldpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/login

  3. Review the Template Qualtrics file for an example Information sheet, consent and debrief

Exciting progress so far!

You’ve identified an exciting area of research and critically evaluated a relevant paper.

Time to put all that hard work and careful thought into practice.

Between now and the end of term, you will build and obtain ethical approval for your studies.

We are all in the process of marking Critical Proposals, and we are seeing some wonderful application of the topics and concepts raised in the module so far.

Some of you are making impressive claims about what you are going to do. Fantastic!

Don’t push too hard, yet!

Please remember, this is supposed to be a modest size project, with focus on following the steps from initial idea, critique, development, Ethics, data collection and preparation, analysis and write-up.

We don’t want any single step to be too daunting or labour-intensive. We want you to enjoy the process as much as possible, and think carefully about each step.

The Mini-Dissertation ‘rules’

Your ultimate individually written up Mini-Dissertation project MUST conform to the following definitive rules:

  •   2x2 ANOVA design with 2 categorical IVs (each with 2 levels) and a
    single continuous DV
  •   You must obtain ethical approval and prove individual involvement in
    the process of application
  •   You must make a sample size estimation / Power calculation
  •   You must collect data online and individually contribute to group
    data collection efforts
  •   Your Mini-Dissertation final submission must comprise:

Submission Requirements

  • a 2500 word APA7 empirical paper with a critical reflection and complete reference list

  • Open Data - a single, cleaned, clearly-labelled data set in Excel format

  • Open Materials - a complete, replication-ready materials document detailing materials relevant to your submission

Running Experiments online or face to face

Comparing Experiment Modalities

  • Online Surveys and Experiments
    • Qualtrics - For surveys, stimulus presentation that don’t require accurate timing
    • Gorilla.sc - For ‘experimental’ tasks with complex stimulus > presentation or that require response time measures or push-button > responses etc.
  • Face-to-Face Experiments

Online Surveys and Experiments with Qualtrics

Overview

  • A powerful tool for creating and distributing online surveys
  • Widely used in psychological research
  • We have an institutional licence and so it is FREE
  • No specialist support - has excellent online support

Pros of Qualtrics

Accessibility

  • Reach a wide, diverse audience (if necessary)
  • Accessible by anyone with a phone or laptop etc

Cost-Effective

  • Low ‘cost’ compared to face-to-face

Data Management

  • Automated data collection, scoring and storage
  • Relatively easy to analyze and export data - but not always simple

Customization

  • Highly customizable surveys and experiments (video, photos, audio, vignettes)
  • Supports various question types and logic

Cons of Qualtrics

Limited Human Interaction

  • Lack of personal interaction can affect responses
  • You put a huge amount of trust in the participant
  • Not always easy to manage ethical challenges properly

Technical Issues

  • Dependence on internet connectivity and user tech skills
  • An error in the build and you are in trouble ####

Response Authenticity

  • Higher risk of dishonest or inattentive responses (maybe?) #### Sampling Bias
  • Potential for non-representative samples

Introduction to experiments using Gorilla.sc

Gorilla.sc: highly controlled online Psychological Research

  • A comprehensive online tool for behavioral research
  • Facilitates creation, deployment, and analysis of experiments

Core Features of Gorilla.sc

User-Friendly Interface

  • Intuitive design for researchers of all levels
  • Drag-and-drop experiment builder

Requires ‘tokens’ to run

  • You will need to apply for ‘tokens’ to apply for ethics, and to run the study.
  • There is usually a limited supply as there is a cost associated with this.

Versatile Experiment Design

  • Supports a wide range of experimental paradigms
  • Customizable to suit various research needs

Experiment Creation with Gorilla.sc

Building Blocks

  • Use ‘widgets’ and ‘tasks’ to construct experiments
  • Easily integrate surveys, quizzes, and cognitive tasks

Advanced Customization

  • Incorporate complex experimental logic
  • Customize with CSS and JavaScript for unique requirements

Data Collection and Analysis

Real-Time Data Collection

  • Gather data securely and efficiently
  • Access participant responses in real-time

Analytical Tools

  • Built-in tools for basic data analysis
  • Export data for advanced analysis in other software e.g. SPSS

Collaboration and Sharing

Team Collaboration

  • Share experiments and data with team members
  • Collaborate on experiment design and analysis

Participant Recruitment

  • Still needs to be managed via sources outside of Gorilla

Gorilla.sc in Psychological Research

Broad Application

  • Suitable for cognitive, social, and clinical psychology
  • Ideal for remote and large-scale studies

Impact on Mini-Dissertations

  • Increases the reach of psychological studies requiring complex stimulus or timing
  • Not easy to get up and running with this tool
  • No specialist support - has excellent templates and online support

Face-to-Face Experiments

Overview

  • Traditional method of conducting experiments
  • Involves direct interaction with participants

Pros of Face-to-Face Experiments

Enhanced Interaction

  • Direct human interaction enriches data quality

Controlled Environment

  • Better control over experimental conditions

Immediate Feedback

  • Opportunity for immediate clarification and feedback

Participant Authenticity

  • Lower risk of false responses (maybe?)

Cons of Face-to-Face Experiments

Higher Costs

  • Greater resource and time investment (maybe?)

Limited Reach

  • Restricted to participants’ geographical location

Time-Consuming

  • Scheduling and conducting sessions takes time

Potential Biases

  • Risk of experimenter or social desirability biases

Conclusion

Choosing the Right Method

  • Depends on research goals, resources, and target population
  • Both methods offer unique advantages and challenges

Tailoring to Research Needs

  • Consider the nature of your study and participant accessibility
  • Balance between quality, ‘cost’, and reach

Questions?

Lab activities

Qualtrics (Many of you will use this!)

  • Log in to an account with your Goldsmiths ID!!

Find the login on the VLE

https://goldpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/login

  • 10% of you will apply for the wrong type of account and be stuck for 2 weeks

Familiarise yourself with the Ethics Application process

Consider the steps required to bring your study to life! (the rest)

References

Reuse

CC BY-NC-SA